Vaccaro Brothers & Company 2-6-0 Locomotives in Honduras
Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media
Class San Juan (Locobase 14193)
Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Vol 49, p. 116. See also "Chapter V-Vaccaro Brothers Corporation", Honduras Banana Trade History at [
], last accessed 27 May 2012. Works numbers were 38964 in December 1912.
The VB&C was incorporated in Louisiana in 1906. Based in La Ceiba, Honduras, the company wanted to expand its holdings and lengthen its 10-mile (16-km) railroad from Salado. Later research showed that Central American fruit giant United Fruit hedged its bets against other plantation failures by staking the VB&C to $170,000 in exchange for half-ownership. By 1908, the Vaccaros (and partner Salvador d'Antoni) had regained full control of their company.
According to the history, "By 1912..Vaccaro Brothers and Company had a government concession to build a railroad from the city of La Ceiba on the north coast of Honduras to the city of Yoro, Yoro. They had by this time some of their own plantations of bananas, but continued to buy fruit from local producers. Their area of operations was between Boca Cerrada, west of La Ceiba, and Balfate, east of La Ceiba (an area of about 80 kilometers [50 miles] of coastline)."
The history adds, after reporting on United Fruit's and Cuyamel's holdings: "by 1912, bananas were being shipped from Honduras solely by: Vaccaro Brothers; United Fruit Company, and Cuyamel." The Vaccaro Brothers' "zone of influence" extended from "the east Bank of the Lean River on the west of La Ceiba, to the San Esteban river near Balfate, to the east of La Ceiba."
It was about this time that Gibbens & Stream brokered the sale of this small Mogul to the company.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | San Juan |
| Locobase ID | 14193 |
| Railroad | Vaccaro Brothers & Company |
| Country | Honduras |
| Whyte | 2-6-0 |
| Number in Class | 1 |
| Road Numbers | 6 |
| Gauge | 3' |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Builder | Baldwin |
| Year | 1912 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 7.25 / 2.21 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 13.92 / 4.24 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.52 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | 36.83 / 11.23 |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 48,000 / 21,772 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 56,000 / 25,401 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | 44,000 / 19,958 |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | 100,000 / 45,359 |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 2000 / 7.58 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 4 / 4 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 27 / 13.50 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 37 / 940 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 150 / 1030 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 14" x 18" / 356x457 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 12,157 / 5514.33 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 3.95 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | 109 - 2" / 51 |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | 11.87 / 3.62 |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 52.26 / 4.86 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 11 / 1.02 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 725 / 67.35 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 725 / 67.35 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 226.06 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 1650 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 1650 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 7839 |
| Power L1 | 2845 |
| Power MT | 392.01 |